BATS
BATS
A Malcolm Kitto photo
We have an extraordinary number of bats species in Cyprus - at least 22 – many of them very rare indeed and not found in the rest of Europe. Here in Pissouri we have number of different bats, the most spectacular of which is Fruit Bat. Cyprus is the only country in the EU where these amazing animals can be seen.
Yet the bats of Cyprus are in desperate need of conservation. Unlike most European countries, Cyprus does not have local bat groups and conservation measures are still lacking. The effect of prolonged drought and loss of habitat as a result of widespread fires can only be imagined.
One tiny pipistrelle can eat around an unbelievable 3,000 mosquitos and other insects per night, yet when you see it in the hand (wings folded) its body is only the size of a 50cent piece.
For more information please contact Patricia Radnor on +357 99499580 e-mail arc.kivotos@cytanet.com.cy
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BAT NOTICES
From Patricia Radnor of Animal Responsibility Cyprus (arc.kivotos@cytanet.com.cy)
- We have bat houses available for people to buy
2. If anyone finds a bat, we have someone who will care for it and hopefully release it. They just have to be able to get it to Larnaca where she lives - or maybe meet halfway.
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Cypriot NGO Participates in Mediterranean Conference, Giving Presentation on Bat Conservation and Ecotourism
The French organisation, Centre de Decouverte du Monde Marin, held its 10th Annual Conference for young people in Villefranche-sur-Mer in the south of France between 30 March and 4 April. This year’s theme was “Environment, Culture and Peace in the Mediterranean”. The themes were: Integrated Coastal Management, Ecotourism and Citizenship.
A representative from Cypriot NGO ARC/Kivotos was invited to the event and gave a presentation on “Bat Conservation and Ecotourism”. Patricia Radnor, International Liaison and Education Coordinator of ARC/Kivotos, noted that Cyprus is the only EU member state to have fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus), making the country attractive to nature lovers, bat enthusiasts and chiropterologists. For Europeans, Cyprus is the easiest-to-get-to country, with English widely spoken, in which to comfortably view bats.
Although it may seem like a new idea, in fact, wildlife ecotourism is said to be the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry with around 211 million wildlife tourists worldwide in 1994. Non-consumptive wildlife-oriented recreation (NCWOR) was listed as one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the USA, with an expected growth rate of 61% by 2050.
Animal encounters through wildlife tourism have the potential to change attitudes; bat tourism improves peoples’ attitudes towards bats as well as potentially increasing support for bat conservation initiatives. Rural populations in Cyprus would be likely to value their fruit bat roosts and desist from killing bats (which are strictly protected by law) if the bats were seen to be bringing income to their villages.
The conference was a valuable opportunity to network with some of our Mediterranean neighbours that also have fruit bats, and with whose Ministries of Tourism, according to Mrs Phoebe Katsouris, Director General of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, Cyprus has established excellent links. “Specifically for Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Lebanon, Cyprus could be a hub for encouraging bat ecotourism,” said Ms Radnor.
“We are proud to be hosting in May the 14th Meeting of the Advisory Committee of the EUROBATS Secretariat. Delegates will be bat specialists from many countries and an ecotourism centre has been chosen, giving delegates a chance to have a taste of the real Cyprus,” Ms. Radnor concluded.
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For more information please contact Patricia Radnor on +357 99499580 e-mail arc.kivotos@cytanet.com.cy
Gone Batty
I don’t know if any of your readers have ever found a bat stranded in their pool. Since January this year I have found 2. The first one on December 28th and the second one 6th May.
I had no idea what to do and telephoned Patricia from the NGO, Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC/Kivotos). With her brilliant advice I made the little creature a kind of hammock affair and hung it up in a warm room. I fed the little bat mealworms until she was healthy. Unfortunately after five weeks of care she gave up her battle for life.
After much research and a vast amount of advice and help from Patricia I found out that this little bat was a Kuhl’s Pippestrelle, an insect-eating bat which is common in Cyprus. The little creature is no more than 2 inches from nose to tail. They are wonderful in the garden as they eat all types of insects as well as our dreaded mosquitoes. In fact one tiny bat can eat thousands of insects in just one hour! Any creature who eats mozzies is a firm friend of mine. They take up little room in your garden and only hunt sunset until sunrise.
There are many fallacies about bats which make people scared of them. They do not drink blood (only the vampire bats do that, and they exist in South America.) They are very social creatures and do no harm to you or the environment. In fact they are very good for the environment, helping farmers by keeping insects numbers down.
What to do if you find one. Using a colander or old towel, get the creature out of the water. Do not put them on a wall to dry as cats will eat or injure them. Put them somewhere quiet and warm and allow them to dry. You can make a hammock by using and old flannel and bringing all four corners together to make a pouch, put the bat in the pouch and tie it somewhere out of harm’s way, preferable up fairly high. If you feel it may be injured then please feel free to call me. I am always willing to take them off your hands and release them as soon as possible. Lynn 97692293.
My husband has made a bat flight cage from the transport box one of our large dogs came over to Cyprus in. We have now put a bat box up in our garden hoping to attract more of them.
A lady in Limassol found one in her pool and brought it over to me in Pervolia. I gave the little creature a good meal and some water and left the cage door open that night and off it flew. It was a wonderful feeling to have helped in some small way in the life of these fascinating little creatures.
I hear some of you say ‘are bats protected, are we allowed to handle them?’ They are strictly protected by law in Europe, but if you are rescuing a bat that is perfectly acceptable. You should wear gloves when handling a bat. I have been in touch with the bat rescue organisation in the UK; they were very helpful and delighted someone is making the effort to save these poor little creatures. If you would like more information on what you can do for these wonderful little creatures please feel free to contact me. You can also check the website www.animalscyprus.org.
May 2009
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Bat Baby Time
Patricia M Radnor
It’s that time of year. We’re getting calls from people who have found bats in trouble, asking what to do. First – they are harmless. The bat will be very frightened. If it is very, very small, it will be a baby bat. These young ones cling on to their mother’s belly when she flies and, unfortunately they sometimes fall off.
If you find a young bat in a quiet area with trees, the mother will possibly come back for it. You could use a little twig and touch its toes. This should cause a grab reflex so that the animal is holding on to the branch. You can then transfer it to a tree, but make sure it’s quite high up. Monitor to see if the mother comes back.
However, most people who call us have rescued the bat from a place where it is in danger from cats, people and so on. Sometimes from a swimming pool. The first thing to do is to put it in a shoebox or similar. You can pick it up by sliding a piece of cardboard under it. Get a piece of cloth (a facecloth is fine) and hang it from the top of the box. You can use a clothes peg. Make some folds in the cloth and the bat will crawl in and feel safe. (Imagine a picture of a stork with a piece of cloth with a baby inside hanging from its beak.)
If the bat has got into your house by mistake, NEVER try to catch it when it is flying; you will injure the terrified animal. Wait until it is still and then gently gather it up in a towels.
If the bat appears to be an adult, half an hour after sunset, place the box somewhere high near an open window. Hopefully the bat will fly out and you have saved a small life!
In the Cyprus heat, a rescued bat’s first need (after it is safely in its cloth) is hydration. Put some water in a very shallow container. If you are handling the bat, you may use a dropper, or a syringe without a needle. NEVER hold a bat by its delicate wings. The bat must be kept at a temperature of at least 37 degrees.
If the bat is a small baby, or if it will not fly off, it is going to need food. Of the 22 species in Cyprus, 21 are small insect-eating bats. Adult bats need to be fed mealworms, using tweezers. Tins of mealworms can be bought at fishing supply shops. Babies need to be fed on goat’s milk or milk for orphan pets, which you can buy from your vet or perhaps, pharmacy.
At this point you need to contact Lynn. A year ago Lynn called us when she found a little bat in her swimming pool on a cold day. She managed to care for the little creature which, sadly, died after five weeks. Lynn has since taken on two more small bats, which she fed successfully and released. She keeps a tin of mealworms in her freezer and will have a defrosted meal ready for the little one. All you need to do is drive to Larnaca and hand the bat over.
The other type of bat is the fruit bat. Cyprus is the only EU country to have this species. It is a larger animal – the adult is about the size of a pigeon and has a face rather like a dog. Of course, it eats only fruit. Otherwise, you care for it in the same way as you do with the small insect-eating bats.
Those who look after a rescued bat for days will find it will recognise you and trust you. They have their own little personalities. Bats are not blind – they see perfectly well. Not do they fly in people’s hair. They are tiny mammals that only have one baby each year, which they feed on milk. All bat species are strictly protected by law. They are very much in need of our help. In return, one tiny bat will eat over one thousand pesky mosquitoes and other insects per evening, so remember not to spray insecticide around.
One more thing – lots of bat people don’t wear gloves, but gloves are recommended. Lyssavirus has occasionally been found in bats (less than one half of one per cent and not in Cyprus).
Our contact details are below, and remember, we can come to your school or organisation to give an enjoyable presentation on the bats of Cyprus.
Animal Responsibility Cyprus (ARC)
www.animalscyprus.org
arc.kivotos@cytanet.com.cy